OTT PLATFORMS TAKE OVER THE THEATER FEEL

A hundred crore movie collection within three days becomes a status symbol of stardom. On top, Actors Salman Khan (17), Shahrukh Khan(9), Aamir Khan(6), Akshay Kumar(16), Ajay Devgan(13), Ranbir Kapoor (6), and Actresses Deepika Padukone(6), Katrina Kaif(4), Kareena Kapoor(6), Priyanka Chopra(5), Jacqueline Fernades(4). As mentioned above, in the bracket, the numbers are the number of their movies that entered in 100 crores race of collection. So many movies, stars, and only a few names are top-rated in this race. What's the difference? Most public crazy for Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, but they are not in the race. Why? As both have only one movie entered in that race. Padmavat(Ranveer Singh) and Bhramastra (Alia Bhatt). In Theaters, maybe Abhishek Bachchan's movies won't cross 100 crores. On Ott's platforms, he defeated all actors with his different acts and gestures. Dasvi and Big Bull are exceptional movies.

Movies are the same as before in emotional approach towards us, but practically, that essence and connectivity with movies vanish aside from our lives. I keep missing that craziness of watching a film in the cinema hall I had in my childhood. The trailer also sparked excitement levels in my heart, and now that excitement is reflected only in Salman movies or Shahrukh movie trailers and nowhere else.

Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan still ruled the cinema as leading actors in the age of late 50s. What do you think? Don't say production giving, only their chances, or they are Don or Mafia. They can create opportunities, but the actors can't consistently succeed, which they are still getting.

The answer is simply the golden era of 90s cinema. The charm, the connectivity that that era has within us from a theater feel, is losing that connectivity of youth from ongoing actors because of OTT platforms. Compare the effects of cinema's big screen and surround sound with the outcome and mindset of a movie and actors, which youth get from tiny mobile screens.

In older times, movies were the only way to see them, but now, social media platforms generate a normalization between audience and actors. New actors do not have that much impact from the silver screen on the audience's mindset. Because they are now very well aware behind the screen, they are so intelligent that they understand the difference between valid news and trolling, which is more authentic. This social trolling sometimes misguides your mind.

What's an OTT Platform:

What's OTT? Have you ever thought? Or just randomly expressed OTT is Netflix, Prime Video, and the rest. It's enough to understand and have a conversation regarding it. OTT refers to Over-The-Top media service/ OTT media service/ OTT platforms. There are 60 plus OTT platforms globally and 47 OTT providers within India. It started in the year 2018 in India with two crore businesses, and it's predicted by the year 2030, it will be $15 billion in outcome. Nowadays, many movies are telecast directly on OTT platforms rather than in theaters because of low budget, and sometimes they are B-grade also. In OTT platforms, no Censor board works. They are self-regulatory, so no rules are recommended regarding OTT platforms. This complete year of 2023, many instructions for OTT platforms are given by Govt that does not hurt Indian culture by showing nudity and obsessive content. Is it controlling but can't finish it?

The first OTT platform in India was BIGflix, launched by Reliance Entertainment in 2008. Nearly in 2015, Hotstar becomes successful because of IPL.

Remember the OTP one-time password in the same manner. OTD is a one-time deal between the producer and the OTT platform for the movie rights for the telecast. If a movie's budget is 20 crores, it will sell all its rights to the OTT platform by taking one-time cash. It could be 30 crores or a little more than that, but after that, all profits directly go to the OTT platform for the entire life till that platform continues. Whenever you watch any movie, play it, or download it, it gets a profit. This kind of deal conducts on every version of it, that's why it's available. Producers always do tricky things regarding Hindi version rights always go in the last or other platform. For example, the movie Adipurush and film RRR Hindi versions are only on Netflix, and the rights to further versions are with Prime Video. We are irritated by ads, mostly we skip them, and rarely we can't, but OTT platforms earn from those ads a lot. Hotstar is nowadays on top with having 4.92 crores paid subscribers. Amazon Prime has 2.1 crores of paid subscribers. Sony Liv has 1.2 crores of paid subscribers. Netflix India has nearly One crore paid subscribers because of the high cost.

Television and movies:

Our connection to television is so much familiar and fascinating. We loved to spend hours in front of it. Any movie premier show thrills me more than OTT does. Here is the change from OTT producers and distributors selling a movie telecast-right to television channels not just for one time but for a limited phase of time on a contract basis, then both decide to renew it or not. I still miss my childhood days during the summer holidays. I kept on watching Govinda's movies back to back. Now, every channel occupies only Hollywood and Tollywood Hindi dubbed movies. That is the side effect of the public and defaming Bollywood and Television wants only trp. That old essence is missing within the Television movie collection and connection with viewers like us who love Bollywood deeply. In the Television movie King That Rules, only Amitabh Bachchan Suryavansham. On TV channels during 90's movies were directly telecasted as the world's premier show. I remember how it feels and what kind of difference it has regarding quality, cinematography, songs, storyline, and cast. For example, movies Bada Din, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi, Papa Kehte Hai. If I correctly remember, the period is always in December to telecast such movies. In the summer holidays, many telemovies were telecasts whose lengths were one and a half hours and were not for cinemas. They were artistic and knowledgeable. TV also slowly slowly transformed into Android TV because of ample OTT platforms on TV screens.

Old movies era:

In 1913, Raja Harishchandra was the first Indian silent movie made by Dada Saheb Phalke. By reaching 1930, there were 200 films produced per year. The First sound movie of India was Alam Ara in 1931. The 1930-40 era was much affected by the Independence movement, the violence of partition, and World War 2. Kisan Kanya and Mother India were the first prime movies with the color experiment on screen in 1937.

Blockbuster movie Kismet's 1943 box office collection reached one crore rupees at that period, whose budget was just 2 lakh rupees. It became the first longest-running film in cinemas and was in mind till the 1970s. It is surprising to inform that before the partition, the Bombay film industry connected and was known as the Lahore film industry. After the partition, the Pakistani film industry emerged as Lollywood and ours as Bollywood. Due to that, Our Bollywood movies have the impression of Urdu a lot. Many actors, filmmakers, and writers migrated to Bollywood from the Lahore film industry during partitions. After the partition, many actors, filmmakers, and writers migrated to Bollywood from the Calcutta film industry. As a result, 1940-60 became the golden age of movie quality. Movies like Awara, Pyaasa, and Shree420 became milestones.

At that time, movie collections appear by hits, superhits, or blockbusters. Anari's 1959 superhit movie collected One crore 50 lakh rupees. All-time attraction Mughal-e-Azam (1960) collected Five crores 50 lakh rupees. Movie Waqt(1965) blockbuster collected Three crores. Aradhna (1969) blockbuster collected Three crores, 50 lakh rupees. These are the highest box office collections of movies in the race of that period.

Then suddenly, Bobby(1973) created history in the success of movies with a maximum box office collection in that era worth rupees Five crores 50 lahks. Sholey's (1975) blockbuster record breaker collected Fifteen crores in that race. The most romantic movie, Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989), collected fourteen crores.

90's era:

The 90's era is so powerful and brought a definition of new cinema for youth and kids like us. I loved my childhood because I enjoyed that cinema, which is like a goldmine for us in talents and explores between limelight and audience. The introduction of cables and connection of channels like Sony, zee, and Star networks, primarily in every home, affected the success of movies. Behind the scenes, celebs' interviews through shows like Mover's & Shakers and Rendezvous with Simi Grewal connected youth and kids with them. Beginning the era of three khans, Akshay Khanna, Govinda, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, and Karishma Kapoor, it's the start further you know very well. In this decade, every movie gained a minimum of 5 crores and mostly above 15 crores of collection. Hum Aapke Hai Kaun(1994) collected 72 crores46lakhs50thousands rupees. DDLJ(1995) collected 53crores31lakhs25thousands rupees. Border (1997) around 40 crores rupees. Kuch Kuch Hota Hain (1998) collected 46 crores86lakhs50 thousand rupees. Hum saath saath hain (1999) collected 39 crores. That era was different in terms of scenario, dialogues, songs, and locations, and that energized the mood of audiences and held their interest that they had to reach the cinema hall, again and again, every Friday to watch the first day of the first show. The specialty of that era is the easy differentiation between actors, actresses, filmmakers, and even production house impact. We watch any film, who is the director we can easily predict and which production behind that, singers identified just by listening to the songs. Everyone has different tastes and approaches towards the audience. The basic storyline was the love story. The different elements introduced in the '90s are the end of the villain instead of the actor in a negative role, like in Maine pyaar kiya actor Mohnish Bahl (negative role) and during 1997 most shocking turn when through movie Gupt actress in a negative role (Kajol) shocked, unforgettable experience. Every direction has its specific genre to explore and interact with its audience. That era must filled with Prem's feelings or David Dhawan's number One series of movies.

Above 2000 scenario:

Time flies, and the millennium year started with actors like Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan. I still remember Amitabh Bachchan getting the Superstar Millennium award. No one could ever reach that level. They faced high competition because of the 90s impact and waves on internet surfing. Kaho na pyaar (2000) collected nearly 45 cores rupees. The box office race has seen several movies with collections of around 50 Crores, and Dhoom created Dhoom, and Ghajani(2008) became the first movie whose collection crossed 100 Crores. In 2009, the movie 3 Idiots of Amir Khan crossed the collection of 200 crores. After that, Amir Khan got the tag of Mr. Perfectionist.

Now comes 2010 with Chulbul Pandey ji Dabangg Actor Salman Khan, who started the trend of 100 crores collections in the first weekend. This era made directors direct movies in series like Dabangg, Dhoom, Race, Golmaal, Krish, Once Upon a Time, KFG, Bahubali, Singham, Drishyam, Kick, Tiger, and Bhramastra. Love has become a secondary concept like politics, true stories, violence, and crime based on leading becomes prime. During the past few years, to collect 300 crores in 3 days is no big deal. The collections in 2023 reached 2000 crores of Bollywood like Tiger-3 collected more than 500 crores rupees, Dunki, Animal more than 485 crores of collection, and more. Adipurush collected 600 crores rupees.

Technology:

Advanced technology plays a crucial role in such vast collections at the box office. In 90' or back, only TV or Radio informed about new releases away from newspapers and magazines. But this generation needs one touch on a mobile screen and several social platforms ready to give information. In our time, newspaper movie reviews were chief if you wanted to know about movies. But now, several YouTubers fake and say anything in reviews youth can trust without watching any movie. That creates controversy. Online Booking of films plays a very crucial role in such movie collections. Nowadays, in a hectic schedule, pre-planned when to watch which movie. During COVID-19, OTT platforms drag everyone's attention towards themselves. The whole world sits in their houses. Entertainment plays its role. Reviewers defamed Tiger-3 regarding Jawan, but in 2023, the highest rate of advance online booking movies was Tiger-3. After 2010, many things changed behind screens. In earlier decades, a stuntman was famous in action scenes. Now, fighting sequences are turned out by motion graphics or Vfx using computer software that creates the aroma of Hollywood in Bollywood movies. Bahubali Blockbuster Complete movie was a great example of motion graphics. You will shocked to know that Bahubali's waterfall was not existent.

Overseas Collection:

We always say Overseas collection. But do we know what's its collection and which movies ruling overseas?

It's completely different from Indian box office scenarios because that audience has different tastes in connecting with Bollywood. China, UAE, UK, USA, Canada, Russia, Malaysia, Australia, and Japan are the prime centers concerning overseas collections. China's highest-grossing film is the movie Dangal (2016), and the most tickets sold for the movie Caarvaan (1979). Russia's highest-grossing film is Disco Dancer (1982). The USA and Canada's highest-grossing film is Bahubali 2-the Conclusion (2017). UAE's highest-grossing film is Jawan(2023). UK's highest-grossing film is Pathan(2023). Australia's highest-grossing film is Pathan(2023). Japan's highest-grossing film is RRR(Rise Roar Revolt) 2022. Malaysia's highest-grossing film is PS1(2022). Nigeria is like a country still impressed with English-Vinglish Sridevi's movies. Overall, about overseas records, I can assure you that most tickets sold for the film Caarvaan(1979), which was telecast in India in 1971 but in 1979 telecasted in China.

Do you know about My Name Is Khan movie? It's the most controversial movie till now. But you don't know that the USA and Hong Kong were also co-production nations along with Dharma production. Such films can't exist without other countries' support.

I am surprised to mention that not just 100 crores matter. Overseas contributions lead to Indian films now reaching 1000 crores club. Bahubali 2-the Conclusion and Dangal became milestones in such success. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt), Jawan, Pathan, and KGF-2 are other 1000 crores club members.

Conclusion:

1913 till now, 2024 calculate, 111 years how movies have changed and connected with us. 1940-1960 was an iconic cinema with the classical essence of cinema, which still inspires us. The 90s was a fantasy for us, considering the beautification of family strength and relation. After 2010, cinema has indulged in many technicalities. I missed those days when we were desperately willing to go to the cinema with family and relatives to enjoy quality time. Discussing the movies on several occasions was an integral part of our lifestyle. It faded by the web of OTT platforms. In my teenage, I calculated whether this movie would premiere on TV after six months. If a super duper hit, it would take one and a half years to broadcast on Doordarshan/Sony /Star. When Titanic was released, we went four times to see that movie in the cinema hall, one time went back to theaters on demand, and one time when it got Hindi dubbed. Many films returned to theaters on demand, but that feels lost as OTT platforms now have movie stocks. Those interactions were left behind when someone brought a VCR. They get to a gathering of neighbors to watch the latest movies on their screen. When any relative visits your place it is a pleasure to take them to the cinema hall. But that feeling didn't connect with youth, which is still attached to elders. The impact of Android phones through connection with several OTTs made them mobile diggers. Constantly on occasion and travel, youth need mobile data to watch movies on OTT. Even small kids have new adventures connected with this. Youth's new attraction or craze is now Korean movies. That is not on theaters or TV, but OTT has entire rights in Hindi dubbed. OTT platforms at present enhance part of SMART/ANDROID TV. Many movies are products of OTT platforms for their own OTT broadcast. OTT has no censor-board shows adult cinema, crime psychology, psychopath cinema, and cinema that broadcast bitter reality without any obstacles to youth. Which dominates slang culture on what cost just comfort on one click away.

90s fragrance no one could ever stop until Maharath Mandir, Mumbai, screening DDLJ. And that's the power and connection between theaters and the audience. Theaters are the roots of connectivity with Celebs.

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